Trying to preserve original file attributes when adding books from my phone

[Axius27]

Basically, I have 2000+ .epub files on my phone that I have downloaded over two years from various sites from across the internet, and I'm trying to import them into Calibre to take advantage of the 'FanFicFare' plugin, which can automatically update many of them that now have new chapters. However, the plugin isn't working as it should, because after I import the files, the 'date created' and 'date modified' attributes are changed to today's date (currently 2/05/2025). The way this plugin works (I think) is by comparing the date on the file to the date of the latest update on the website. If the website's .epub is newer than the file, the file is updated/redownloaded.

The problem is, since the 'date created' and 'date modified' attributes have been overridden and set to today's date, the plugin isn't updating my .epubs to their latest versions, because as far as the plugin is aware, I might as well have downloaded all 2000 today. To my mind, there are two* possible solutions, either find a way to preserve an unmodified .epub file during the import process, or ask the developers behind 'FanFicFare' to change their plugin to look at the 'Published' column instead of the 'Created' or 'Modified' attributes.



So, does anyone know of a way to preserve the original file attributes during import? Is that even possible with how Calibre is built?

Thanks for any help you can provide.




(*Option three, import all the books, and then manually replace all the copies in the Calibre Library with the original using a basic copy/paste and renaming the file. The simplest solution, and it DOES work, but you'll forgive me for not wanting to do that 2000+ times :/

Option 4: The Nuclear Option. There is a setting inside FanFicFare that will automatically overwrite the downloaded copy with a new version. This would update all my .epubs to the latest version, but I won't know which files were actually updated. Most do not need to be redownloaded, and I lost track of which a LONG time ago. Also, sending out 2000 automated download requests seems like a good way to get my IP blocked, so I'd rather not)

[JSWolf]

You should ask this in the FanFicFare plugin thread.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=259221

[Axius27]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

You should ask this in the FanFicFare plugin thread.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=259221

I'm aware that's how it feels, but this isn't a problem that has anything to do with FanFicFare. It's not FanFicFare that's destroying the file attributes, it's Calibre itself creating a whole new, shiny file instead of just making and renaming a copy of the original, all attributes and metadata intact. I'd rather not go ask a developer to change their code if there's a perfectly reasonable solution that I'm just too dumb to see.

Regardless, that will be my next step if that reasonable solution isn't found.

[BetterRed]

@Axius27 - You seem to be assuming that FanFicFare makes use of file system dates, I'm not sure that's a valid assumption, and I suspect that's why @JSWolf suggests you ask in the FFF plugin thread.

Linux and Apple file systems don't have a Date Created attribute, and afaik IOS and Android are the same. Modified Date in calibre-speak refers to the date when when a book's metadata was changed, whereas the file system Modified Date refers to the date when a specific file was changed (e.g. a .EPUB, .PDF, .DOCX etc).

BR

[JSWolf]

Just download these updated stories again and you'll also get the updates.